CMO Leadership Positions

The hottest job in B2B marketing right now is the VP of Revenue Marketing. Two years ago this would have been VP of Demand Generation. In just the past week I've talked to four CMOs who are prioritizing a VP of Revenue Marketing role as a key member of their leadership team. The differences and shifts in organizational and go-to-market philosophy represented here are significant for companies hoping to grow and scale profitably in the quarters and years to come. To me it signals four things happening in B2B marketing (all positive signs): 1️⃣ It's a recognition that demand alone is short-sighted. Focusing on near-term direct pipeline alone is expensive and misses the nuances of an increasingly advanced and complex buying journey and buying group dynamic. Demand generation alone also fails to coordinate consensus building and influence from inside and outside the buying group. - partners, peer groups and more. 2️⃣ It recognizes that revenue comes from far more than just net-new leads. We have some clients that focus 90% of their efforts on their customer base. The concept of scrambling for net-new leads outside of their core target market would be inefficient and borderline negligent. 3️⃣ It means more CMOs are focused on the entire marketing function, not just "promotion". In all too many cases in the recent past, the CMO WAS the VP of Demand Generation. The role in some orgs had been reduced to tomorrow's leads and this week's new pipeline. Thankfully today's advanced Chief Market officers are leaning into product roadmap leadership, product/market fit, brand management and more. Back to the roots of successful marketing leadership, as some may say. 4️⃣ It validates that “lifecycle revenue marketing” is outperforming… and org charts are catching up. Forrester’s work on lifecycle revenue marketing shows advanced teams are more likely to meet/exceed revenue goals than siloed teams. Lifecycle + orchestration + accountability is becoming the model—so companies are hiring the executive who can build it. 5️⃣ It reflects how "self-serve" is moving upmarket, putting website + lifecycle in the revenue path. Forrester predicts that more than half of $1M+ B2B transactions will be processed through digital self-serve channels (vendor site or marketplace). That’s not “demand gen.” That’s revenue infrastructure: conversion paths, nurture, expansion, product-led signals, and orchestration. 

I’ve been in the room when FMCG boards reviewed the final shortlist for a CMO role. Over the last 12 months, something remarkable has happened in those rooms: the most debated profiles aren’t traditional brand marketers from legacy CPG houses, they’re growth leaders from tech. Leaders from Spotify, Uber, TikTok, Amazon, Klarna. They’re not coming in with 20 years of experience managing heritage brands across grocery channels. But they’re fluent in another language altogether: data-led storytelling, performance-driven growth loops, real-time consumer signals, and omni-channel acquisition that doesn’t require above-the-line muscle. And suddenly, for global consumer companies that have struggled to keep up with how consumers discover and engage with brands, this “outsider” language is exactly what they’re craving. -76% of consumers now expect brands to anticipate their needs and behaviors, not just respond to them. (Salesforce, State of the Connected Customer, 2023) - Personalization and real-time relevance aren’t just “digital priorities”, they’re growth levers. -And for Gen Z consumers, brand loyalty is no longer built in-store or through TV spots. It’s earned through value-driven storytelling, digital community engagement, and consistent online presence across formats. The traditional FMCG CMO was a master of category management, retail activation, and brand architecture. That role still matters. But the emerging CMO, the one most in demand today looks a little different: → They think in funnels, not channels. → They test, learn, and optimize daily. → They’re equally comfortable briefing creators for TikTok as they are building full-funnel attribution models. → They manage marketing like a product team: agile, cross-functional, data-literate. I’ve seen this play out firsthand in executive search mandates. The world of consumer goods has changed and the skill sets needed at the top are evolving too.It’s no longer just about knowing the category. So, if you’re leading a consumer brand and hiring for its future, here’s my question: Are you searching for someone who knows your brand’s history? Or someone who can build its future? Let’s talk. #FMCG #MarketingLeadership #ExecutiveSearch #DigitalTransformation #ConsumerGoods #CMO #Hiring #FutureOfMarketing

New CMO: We're moving 50% of the marketing budget to brand / top of funnel. VP Growth: Hell no. My ROAS will drop, and my bonus depends on hitting a ROAS target. New CMO: Not anymore. Your bonus is tied to two metrics: 1. Total contribution dollars generated by the business (at 35% contribution margin). 2. Contribution dollar lifetime value (rolling 30, 60, 180, and 365 days) for our owned business. VP Growth: wtf?! How can I own this? New CMO: Metrics aren't about individual ownership—they're team-driven. The real challenge is choosing the right ones. VP Growth: How do we know these are the right metrics? New CMO: The right metrics grow business health and fundamental enterprise value. If we increase these metrics, while keeping fixed costs flat, we become more profitable. Are they perfect? Maybe not. But they're miles better than short-term ROAS or new customers acquired, which have far less of a direct connection to fundamental business health when we increase those numbers. VP Growth: How can you say that? New CMO: For ROAS, you can hit any number by: 1. Spending less. 2. Doubling down on branded keywords, existing customers, or retargeting. 3. Running more discount events. But ROAS lacks incentives to drive incremental revenue—what actually grows the business—and says nothing about the cost to generate it. And for new customers acquired, there is no notion of customer quality. A massive sale drives high ROAS but attracts discount hunters who won't buy at full price unless we run bigger sales. Both of these metrics lack context on quality and long term profit, which is ultimately the fundamental goal of business. VP Growth: Ok, I'll buy that, but how can I be responsible for overall contribution dollars? New CMO: As a singular individual, you can't. That's why half of your budget will now be based on team performance. For you though, it'll drive you to make better decisions with how you spend our marketing dollars VP Growth: What do you mean? New CMO: You're free from short-term ROAS pressure to pad stats and can focus on incremental profitable growth. You can step back and do the things you know are right to drive net new incremental demand (meaning: you would not have gotten that revenue if you didn't spend that ad dollar) even if it's low ROAS. VP Growth: And the mythical purse string holders are bought in? New CMO: Yup - the CFO and board now understand that the real goal for our marketing investments is both short and long term incremental contribution dollar generation at the highest possible contribution margin. That was my one condition for agreeing to accept the offer to join VP Growth: Well butter my biscuits, let's do this. New CMO: Please never say that again

CMOs keep telling me that their life goal is to stop being a full-time CMO. More of us than ever are opting out, going fractional, building our own businesses, dreaming of our final escape from the hamster wheel. We are collectively burning out, and here’s why: We’re consistently being handed linear pipeline and revenue goals that are based on a simple spreadsheet calculation… and completely disconnected from the realities of the market. Transitioning a business away from idealistic, magical spreadsheet forecasting can be very challenging, especially if we don’t have years of solid historical data to help make the case. We know that account-driven marketing (or whatever you want to call it) - connecting with the people who make up a buying committee at a specific company that’s a great fit for whatever we’re selling - is the most effective way to build strong relationships that drive meetings, deal acceleration, and higher ACVs… but reporting at the account level requires overhauling attribution models, comp structures and GTM processes, and few of us have the time or grace to slow down for that. We’re building trust and rapport with more people in growing buying committees by crafting memorable, meaningful experiences across many different channels… and then we’re forced to distill that non-linear, multi-channel buying journey down to one first or last touch because that’s the way the board/CEO/CFO is most comfortable thinking about it. We’re tasked with rapidly learning and deploying AI workflows… in a period when AI is changing weekly and it’s easier than ever to misfire and burn trust - buyers are more discerning, highly sensitive to quality and expect thoughtful, human personalization. We’re investing in brand marketing to drive demand because we know that only 5% of our potential buyers are in-market at any given moment, and when pipeline grows thanks to BRAND investment: direct traffic, branded organic search, events, WOM, dark social, etc… we’re frequently told “you’re good at that brand stuff, but you really need to improve on and invest in demand capture. Hack that buying journey.” We know that a strong product and consistent innovation underpins a winning marketing strategy, competitive differentiation and category leadership… and then we’re often told that the roadmap is a year or more behind, but product really has nothing to do with pipeline, and we should be able to manufacture momentum. Maybe it’s time for all of us to put a collective foot down. There is a better, more sustainable way, but we haven’t yet forced B2B to transition from old-school attribution, forecasting, and GTM models that don’t make sense. It’s beyond time.

A year ago, I took over the Marketing function—with no Marketing background. As part of the executive team, I already had visibility into our marketing outcomes. But when I stepped in to lead the team, I quickly learned how different it is to own the outcomes. I've spent most of my career focused on building systems, solving internal blockers, and scaling sustainably. So I approached marketing the only way I knew how:  🔍 With curiosity  📊 With a focus on data and outcomes  🤝 And with respect for the people who know it better than I do Here's what I've learned (and am still learning): 1️⃣ Marketing is an ops problem AND a creative challenge. You can have the best systems in the world, but if your messaging doesn't land, none of it matters. Conversely, creativity without structure leads to chaos. You need both. 2️⃣ Speed + clarity beats perfection. Getting campaigns out the door, learning from results, and adjusting quickly moves the needle more than over-polished strategies stuck in review cycles. 3️⃣ Cross-functional alignment is marketing fuel. The best-performing campaigns didn't come from silos—they came from alignment between Marketing, Sales, and Engineering. Marketing can't be effective without tight integration across teams. 4️⃣ Marketing attribution isn't just about credit—it's about learning. Understanding which touchpoints drive conversions isn't about assigning glory; it's about improving future decision-making and resource allocation. 5️⃣ Cost efficiency doesn't have to mean cutting corners. We've reduced acquisition costs while increasing qualified traffic and leads—not by spending less blindly, but by getting sharper on targeting, messaging, and timing. A year in, I'm still not a marketer and honestly I probably won't ever be one. But I have a deep appreciation for what this function really is: a blend of storytelling, systems thinking, experimentation, and alignment. If you're an executive without a marketing background taking on the function, leverage your knowledge of the business and your relationship capital within the organization to get people connecting and ideating. Then, lean heavily on your team's expertise. This is how you grow. And this is how you can best help that team succeed. #LeadershipLessons #MarketingStrategy #CrossFunctionalTeams #ExecutiveLeadership

“Did B2B break in 2024?” asked the penguin-hatted emcee of the CMO Super Huddle. The 100+ marketing leaders crammed into a Palo Alto hotel ballroom listened and nodded. Few had a great year. Most had major challenges, which they shared on a small card. An analysis of these challenges reveals some interesting truths about the CMO role. The CMO role remains the most bespoke in the C-suite This isn’t news. It’s just a reminder to avoid assumptions when speaking with CMOs. Some have vast portfolios and should call themselves “Chief Market Officers,” noted executive recruiting legend Kate Bullis. Most don’t. About half report to the CEO. A few “own” ecommerce and a P&L. Most don’t. Some own marketing and comms. Some have enlightened CEOs who understand that marketing is a growth lever. Most don’t! Few CMOs believe they have sufficient resources to hit their goals After years of budget cuts and goal hikes, many B2B CMOs are at the breaking point. Several highly skilled CMOs quit in 2024 in the face of relentless magical thinking by PE firms. Others describe their 2025 challenge as “dedicating sufficient resources (people + budget) to meet increasingly high goals,” “so many priorities, so few resources,” or simply “doing more with less.” To make this visceral, one CMO asked, “How can I scale demand and awareness with a budget of only $20,000/month?”  Educating the C-Suite remains a top challenge This is not just about educating other execs that marketing is not a simple input/output function (like Jon Miller’s gumball machine metaphor). It turns out that a lot of execs, particularly at start-ups, can’t agree on a go-to-market strategy or even what “strategy” means. Thus CMO challenges like “GTM alignment,” “lack of clarity of business objectives” and “executive alignment & engagement around a cohesive customer-centric narrative” are surprisingly frequent. The era of just handing off leads to Sales is over While marketing leaders still wish their sales counterparts were better closers, few relinquish responsibility for conversion rates. Most CMOs now realize that MQLs and SQLs are meaningless if deals don’t get closed. As such, challenges like “pipeline progression,” “sales enablement,” and “improving close rates” are their top priorities. While these aren’t easily solved issues, marketers are finding meaningful ways to support their sales counterparts from discovery through acquisition and retention. And in doing so, become recognized as business leaders not just the marketing person! CMOs are remarkably resilient and infinitely curious Despite the challenges stated above (and many others I'll cover later), the atmosphere in the room was electric. For several hours, these execs ignored their email and listened intently. They shared leadership tips and sought answers on how GenAI would reshape their companies, products, and marketing. They opened their minds, prepared to pivot, and networked for answers. It was flocking awesome 🐧 💜 

Marketing job titles might be getting messy but what they really reveal is how much the definition of senior marketing roles has changed. A decade ago, “Head of Marketing” or “CMO” was shorthand for strategy-only. Set the vision. Approve the budget. Direct the team. The doing happened elsewhere. That’s not the case anymore. Leaner teams (and leaner budgets) mean senior marketers are closer to execution than ever before.... Digital-first channels demand speed, personality, and authenticity that can’t just be delegated. Organisations want more bang for their buck. And whether you’re in a start-up or a global brand, leaders are expected to show up. Whether it's on LinkedIn, on stage, on podcasts, in articles. That’s not an optional extra. It’s part of the job. Which might explain why so many job specs read like a mash-up of brand, growth, content, product, and performance marketing. They’re trying to capture a new kind of leader: one who can set strategy and model execution. The strategist-who-also-does. The boardroom voice who still knows the weeds. The leader who can embody the brand, not just approve it. (The kind of marketer who has existed in the scale-up space for a long time 👀) That’s a big shift from the “boardroom-only” marketer of old. And it means if you’re chasing leadership because you want to escape the weeds… you might be disappointed. Because modern marketing leadership is both. The strategy and the doing. The vision and the visibility. The title might look the same. But the role has evolved. Anyone else seeing this? --- 💋A perspective from inside the scale-up trenches hashtag hashtag #MarketingInTheMud

Nobody is telling the truth about how disruptive this is going to be. Maybe since I’m ‘unaffiliated’ for now, I can. 👀 AI isn’t just coming for workflows. It’s coming for the foundations of knowledge work — and for the identities built on it. For CMOs and marketing leaders, this hits hard. For years, we’ve found meaning in our playbooks and how we execute. Now, much of that is being automated, flattened, or redefined in real time. And here’s the part we’re not talking about enough: This isn’t just a professional disruption. It’s a personal one. To survive it — let alone lead through it and flourish — we can’t keep pushing at the same velocity, hoping to outrun the change. We need to slow down. Reground. Rebuild. That means investing differently: Mind – Slowing down to build emotional resilience in a time of accelerated everything. Learning to lead from clarity, not reaction. Body – Remembering we’re not brains on a stick. Stewarding our embodied experience through sleep, movement, and nourishment — so we can actually sustain the work. Soul – Recognizing that our sense of identity is often wrapped up in our work — and that AI will inevitably challenge how we define purpose and value. This season demands we examine those foundations, and do so in community, not isolation. This is the real work of leadership in the Intelligence Age. Not just learning to prompt better. But learning to stay human — when everything else is speeding up.

Too often, I’ve been in a meeting where everyone agreed collaboration was essential—yet when it came to execution, things stalled. Silos persisted, friction rose, and progress felt painfully slow. A recent Harvard Business Review article highlights a frustrating truth: even the best-intentioned leaders struggle to work across functions. Why? Because traditional leadership development focuses on vertical leadership (managing teams) rather than lateral leadership (influencing peers across the business). The best cross-functional leaders operate differently. They don’t just lead their teams—they master LATERAL AGILITY: the ability to move side to side, collaborate effectively, and drive results without authority. The article suggests three strategies on how to do this: (1) Think Enterprise-First. Instead of fighting for their department, top leaders prioritize company-wide success. They ask: “What does the business need from our collaboration?” rather than “How does this benefit my team?” (2) Use "Paradoxical Questions" to Avoid Stalemates. Instead of arguing over priorities, they find a way to win together by asking: “How can we achieve my objective AND help you meet yours?” This shifts the conversation from turf battles to solutions. (3) “Make Purple” Instead of Pushing a Plan. One leader in the article put it best: “I bring red, you bring blue, and together we create purple.” The best collaborators don’t show up with a fully baked plan—they co-create with others to build trust and alignment. In my research, I’ve found that curiosity is so helpful in breaking down silos. Leaders who ask more questions—genuinely, not just performatively—build deeper trust, uncover hidden constraints, and unlock creative solutions. - Instead of assuming resistance, ask: “What constraints are you facing?” - Instead of pushing a plan, ask: “How might we build this together?” - Instead of guarding your function’s priorities, ask: “What’s the bigger picture we’re missing?” Great collaboration isn’t about power—it’s about perspective. And the leaders who master it create workplaces where innovation thrives. Which of these strategies resonates with you most? #collaboration #leadership #learning #skills https://lnkd.in/esC4cfjS

According to McKinsey & Company’s latest research with the ANA, we've got a serious problem in the C-suite. While CEOs who put marketing at the heart of their growth strategies are twice as likely to achieve >5% annual growth, there's a massive disconnect between what CEOs think marketing does, and what CMOs believe their role to be. 💡 90% of CEOs think they understand marketing's benefits. But only 50% of CMOs see the same connection. That's not a small gap – it's a chasm! And it's significantly impacting marketing effectiveness. 💡 Less than 4% of FTSE 100 companies have a CMO / Marketing Director at the C-suite level. This is not only very troubling, but a significant oversight in corporate leadership. And it gets more challenging! 💡Only 4% of FTSE 250 CEOs have any marketing experience! This means we've got companies being run by people with limited exposure to marketing fundamentals. (For those CEOs reading this – that's Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. These fundamentals matter more than ever.) Everyone's obsessed with digital marketing, but the harsh reality is that most companies are overwhelmed with data, while struggling to extract actual insights. CMOs are increasingly being relegated to execution roles, figuring out YouTube and Hubspot tools, rather than focused on strategic planning. It's a bit like hiring Gordon Ramsay but only letting him plate the food! The research shows that companies are treating their CMOs as tactical executors rather than strategic leaders. This is counterproductive. How can you execute a strategy you had no hand in creating? Or execute a string of tactics that add little strategic value that were built by your short term thinking Ops or Sales guy. And then wondering why your organisation has plateaued and customers are moving to competitors. We live in a world where customers have wildly different buying behaviours. Google talks about “the messy middle” of the buying journey. Eg Some folks will visit a website 15 times before making a purchase, while others want an immediate transaction. Modern marketing needs to understand and serve all these different behaviours, and everything in between. If you're waiting for things to "settle down" before getting your head around it, you're going to be waiting a very long time indeed. The research is clear; companies that get this right grow twice as fast as their peers. But getting it right means fixing the fundamental disconnect between CEOs and CMOs. It means putting marketing back at the strategic heart of the business. And most importantly, it means having the courage to maintain marketing investment when everyone else is cutting back. The choice is yours. You can either continue with the assumption that marketing is primarily about communication and social media, or you can embrace the complex reality of modern marketing leadership. The companies that get it right will be the ones leading the market in the years to come.